Stam Audio 1073MPA

I have been using this pre now for 2 weeks, with several recordings. I am really happy with the addition of the Stam 1073 to my pres Arsenal.

I havent used many 1073 style pres before, but i used several neve sounding pres and they were all so different, i cant say how close to an original 1073 it is, but it sound really great.

It has 2 selectable impedance(if i remember correctly 600 & 1200ohms) with the Hi Z switch, this really change how mics interacts with preamps, some mics i used sounded just fine without engaging the button, and others i felt like i got a bigger bottom end.

How i would describe them sounding? Crisp, Clear but no transparent, in Vocals its just amazing, but in general i got in my face sound without using any compressor. Tried it with Stams Sa2a with little compression, and i got a big, loud and clear vocal. Generally to achieve this using other pres, i have to use lots of EQ, some parallel distortion, this Pres, delivers me that sound right away.

Also you can play and dial more Gain and trim it down, you can get several tones from this Preamp. If i were to have a big studio, i would buy 3 2 channels rack to get 8 pres, but in my actual studio, 2 1073 pres are enough i may consider adding more later if i were recording drums.

Build Quality, Knobs and switch are top notch quality, it looks and sounds great.

I built a small project studio setup around these preamps. They have some options at configuration, I opted for the Sowter transformers.

They have a great sound. They are fat and open, have that typical thick Neve transient. Immediate smile on my face when I use them.

I've used different clones of various "famous" preamp designs as well as originals of the same, and I will say these sound more like their namesake than any other clone I've used has ever come to it's prototype (Neve or any other).

It's hard to have a product review for a Stam Audio product without talking about Joshua. He's a great guy and pours his heart into the work -- it shows. I've bought multiple products from him, and he's always had good customer service. The products are well worth the wait. You really can't beat the quality of the product at all. When you factor in the price you pay, it's an unbeatable value.

We've had the Stam-1073 for just over a week now, and i can say we are totally blown away, We are a project studio doing our own material previously using the Ssl Alpha VHD and TL Audio VP1 for tracking, all i can say is these two units since receiving the Stam-1073 will not see much more action, its a taste of what can be achieved with high end equipment and i think theres no going back.

This is a home run. It has every feature people want in this space: name-brand Carnhill or Sowter transformers, high-quality parts, very authentic sound, an impedance/tone switch, and it looks beautiful and fits two channels in ONE rack space. Build quality and sound quality were both far better than expected. All that for a VERY low per-channel price point.

Bottom line: this unit and the single-channel version are the absolute bone-cheapest Neve-style preamps I'm aware of that DON'T have significant drawbacks. These look and sound absolutely high-end, and I can't tell a difference between these and my Seventh Circle Audio N72's (highly respected), to give an idea on quality.

I'm loving what's coming out of Stam. Theyre SA4000 and SA2A are high on my list to try out, and I have a pre-order in for their SA87 mic as well. Very impressive so far guys! Keep it up!

Bought this a few weeks ago, after buying their SSL type comp earlier this year. There's no way around it, they build great gear, at a no-brainer price.

I have plenty of great gear. My studio is not a home studio, and though it's my private studio, The Isokon is where I have done Bob Weir's Blue Mountain, Craig Finn's last two solo records, Kaki King's last two records, and several dozens of others. Needless to say, I'm not a weekend dabbler in recording. This is what I do, and if a piece of gear doesn't do what I need it to do, I don't keep it.

The Stam 1073 is a great piece of kit. Basically sounds like a Neve. Is it exact? Who knows. Ive never heard an original 1073 that sounds exactly like another, so that's an unnecessary question. The better question to me is whether or not it does the Neve thing, and with class. Yes it does. Period.

You can spend double or triple on the usual suspects, when it comes to Neve clones, and it will be no better than the Stam. It wont be built better, because this is built like a tank. It won't sound better (maybe different, but not better), and again, it will cost double or triple what this costs.

I'm now on the hook for two excellent Stam pieces, and await their U87 clones. I have no doubt I will keep buying things they build.

I'm still digging this amazing preamp, I used on vocals and acoustic guitars for the moment but will put in to the test with other instruments as soon.
I have other preamps:
Warm Audio WA12, Five Fish MX5, SPL Gold Mike 9844, Joemeek TwinQ, M-Audio DMP3 and the Focusrite Octopre MKII.
The Stam Audio is the one I like the most, it makes any microphone sound better. The WA12 and the Five Fish are also very good but different taste.
I don't have a real experience with the original Neve but to be honest I don't really care if it sounds or not the same, for me what is important is if it sounds good... and the 1073 certainly does.
I was really surprised to ear how much better some modest microphones could sound though it.
Do your self a favour and buy one of these.

first of all, id like to thank joshua for his help and patience with my emails. a very genuine character, josh answered all my questions as well as transferring my deposit from his sa87 to this 1073 preamp with sowter transformers as I happened to come across a Neumann u87 at the right time. he also sent this pre via DHL for a very decent price.
to compare this pre, I also own a manley TNT and API a2d. my tests were with my u87, cad e100s, and synths via a multi stereo input transformer balanced DI merger (made by yours truly), into the preamp mic inputs- then into a ua2192 adc.
it sounds completely different to the manley and api, which sound more... 'modern'? the stam isn't better or worse, it holds its own. and its a third of the price of both. the manley sounds 'sweet', the api a little 'chilly' (in a good way), and the stam is definitely more 'vintage' in character. its reminds me of my huge transformer laden Yamaha PM2000 console I once owned, and sorely miss- but with more clarity. that is VERY high praise indeed. it also sounds similar to a bae 1073 I played with once, and again its about a third of the price! in short- warm, yet bright and detailed. Easy to slam without breaking up. mics come to life, and everything sits in the mix without much work.
stam audio may come across as DIY, but a lot of effort has been put into the enclosure and build quality, it looks and feels as good as anything else in my rack. and im very happy (unlike a lot of reviewers) to have an external power supply, the unit is totally quiet, and the brick is solid and hefty.
thanks josh, I will be investigating more of your products in the very near future!

The shipping was through DHL and the tracking information was text to my phone as it shipped. The unit came professionally packaged with a nice note from Camila on the box. The paint job on the faceplate is very robust and will not scratch off when mounting in the rack. If you're American, you will need to change the switch on the back of the unit from 230V to 115V (don't worry, nothing bad will happen if set to 230V). Also on the back are two XLR inputs, XLR outputs, and 2 1/4 inch Insert jacks.

I spent a couple of days AB-ing recorded guitar or vocals through my interface (Focusrite Clarrett 8preX) or the Stam 1073MPA Sowter. When using the 1073MPA with the gain knob cranked up to ~4 o'clock, the results gave me a huge smile. You can drive the hell out of this unit and it sounds amazing; this is not achievable with my clean, transparent sounding Clarett. I enjoyed this mic-pre so much that I ordered 3 more units just to have 8 channels to track with.

There were some delays with shipment but we communicated and worked it out. I love these units; you can tell they are made by company that puts a lot of care into their product.

Stam 1073MPA (Preamp)

I produce and mix ITB and had experimented with outboard gear before (ART compressor, Preamp, Behringer Compressor and EQ) but was never that impressed and felt they did not offer me anything more than what my UA plug-ins were giving me.

I first heard of Stam when I was doing a recording engineer class in a studio close to where I live here in Seattle. They had a Stam SA2A and I was impressed on how lovely the sound was, a spacious analog sound you hear on a multitude of records from the 70’s and 80’s.

So I took the plunge, bought the 1073MPA which was in stock and was shipped right away. I also ordered the 1073 EQ and a SA2A+, both of which are on order and I eagerly await their arrival in the next couple of months.

Anyway, Joshua Stam and Camila, were both very nice to deal with, very attentive and clearly ‘there’ for you. They are based in Chile, so I did wonder about the shipping time, but no worries, I had the box in my hands 4 days later (actually arrived on my birthday in Feb 2019).

The first thing you notice when you unpack the unit (which was really well packed in a double box) is how solid it feels. The unit looks and feels vintage, and the knobs are all solid and competent feeling. I am an Aerospace Engineer at Boeing, and this thing would not be out of place on the flight deck of a 777.

Adjusted the voltage switch to 115V, loaded it into my rack, hooked it up to inputs 7 and 8 on my Apollo 8 Quad and plugged my Fender Jazz into the Hi-Z input on the front panel, and was instantly transported to the 1970’s. Just a lovely solid, smooth sound, I fell instantly in love. It’s pretty easy to use with just a click gain knob and a trim, you can’t screw it up. I have to admit, I have mostly just been playing bass through it and I can’t ever see not using it on my bass ever again.

Then I plugged in my Micparts S87 (a very fine Neumann U87 clone), and that sounded nice and smooth too. I am not a singer, so I have not done too much with that…. More experimentation is due…. This weekend I will see how recording acoustic guitar goes.

Then I plugged in my Gretsch 6131 PowerJet, it sounded less impactful than the bass guitar, so after a few minutes I unplugged. Admittedly I didn’t anticipate using this preamp with an electric guitar (I have a UAD Ox and that is tremendous for guitar), so I do not foresee anything more there.

But in summary, this unit is clearly for mic and bass guitar (although I have not run keyboards through it yet, we’ll have to experiment more there), and I am beyond impressed on what it has done for me so far. I plan on using all the Stam gear for help with recording direct (and not post-processing of tracks).
Can’t wait for the 1073 EQ and the SA2A+ to arrive.

I’m a very lucky owner of two of these units. The construction is very sturdy, love how it looks and the sound you get ... ay mamá, everything I put through these beauties has that mojo, that “in your face” sound I was always looking for.

Don’t think twice, once you get it you know it's worth it.

I ordered this last year, with sowter transformers, and while waiting for it to be built, i jumped and also bought one with the other stock transformers (at the time anyways. i think they only rock the sowter transformers now)
I'm not going to get super into wait times, because there were, but Josh e mailed me and made sure i was well taken care of.
All in all, between the 1073MPA sets i have, both are perfect, and i can honestly say that i wish i had a lot more of them.
If you're concerned about your order, just e mail one of the reps there, and be polite; they probably have to deal with a lot of trash from angry people wanting things delivered yesterday.

I have 2 analog and 1 tube preamp in my studio, which all are very good quality. However, after purchasing the Stam Audio 1073 MPA it has become my go-to preamp.

It is so easy to use, the sound quality is very good and I always get good results.
I couldn't recommend it more. You just cannot go wrong with this unit.

Kim @KW-Mastering studios

I bought my first Stam Audio 1073 MPA around Christmas 2018. I have used it non stop. It is super reliable & sounds amazing. I have used the real thing many times and this is super close to that. In fact for the money, you can’t beat it. It is built like a tank with top notch components. And it’s actually more reliable than a vintage neve. I will keep buying from Josh at Stam with confidence. They offer so many cool versions of vintage gear. You really can’t beat them. And the customer service is great. They will help you with any concerns. Only down side is since the company is growing and everything is hand built, it can take time. It’s not a crazy wait time but in my opinion the wait that you may encounter time to time is worth it. Seriously can’t say enough great things about them.

- Stephen
Nation Records Studio

We have been using our Stam Audio 1073DPA For about a year now and we are extremely happy with the results. It is as clear, full-bodied and trouble-free as we could have hoped for. We rely on it every day and it is a workhorse preamp! Vocals sound clear and full. It has never given us any problems, and we want more of them! We know we can rely on Stam to deliver something special and useable; there is nothing in this price range we can think of that gives us a better sound quality. It has helped us take our music to the next level of quality for a very reasonable cost.

Features we love: the insert point (used this for sending vocals through guitar pedals and tape delays), well-built, Sowter transformers.

There is music in this box.

Aloha from Honolulu, Hawaii,

Chris and Lock from Analog Rock Machine Studio

I received my Stam 1073MPA about 4 month ago and I have to say I couldn't be happier with the unit.

So far I have used it to record electric bass guitar and baby bass (an electric upright bass), vocals, trombone, piano and synthesisers. Everything I record through it sounds great and somehow it seems easier to make things sit in the mix the way I like it. The sounds I can get when cranking up the gain and pulling down the trim give me all the flexibility I could wish for. I usually apply EQ later on in the box and thus I don't miss that this two channel version doesn't have an EQ included.

Overall a fantastic peace of gear! I'm already planing on getting another unit. With Stam a bit of planing ahead is always wise since everything is hand build and usually takes a while to arrive.

It is the best preamp I've used, built as a tank to last a lifetime. Joshua, Camila and the attention of the whole team is really good. They answered all my questions, I totally recommend this preamp, I will definitely continue shopping at Stam, I want all the microphones!

I'm using STAM 1073 MPA since some month on vocals, acoustic guitars and percussion. My STAM 1073 has only sowter transformers
Mainly i recorded vocals with Gefell UM92.1s, M990, Vanguard V13 and FLEA 47.

The STAM is well built.
All microphones stated above, benefit from the sowter transformer in that way, that the signals are smooth, fat but fast enough compared to the carnhill transformers. Really nice tone.

Room for improvement:
Compared to other preamps like BAE or Telefunken and so on, the gain stage is 10dB lower than on other preamps
If i set 40dB Gain on the STAM, in reality it is only 30dB.
This is fantastic for high sensitive microphones like M990, AT5040 which have 30mV and more sensitivity, but the shown gain is not the gain you get ;-)

There is more hum than in other preamps like BAE, because the power supply is outside of the preamp.
But to be honest, you can't hear the hum in any musical situation.
But you can hear it.

All in all a well built and very fine sounding preamp, if you want a preamp with colour, fatness and strength, and it is fast enough transients.